Stillbirths should be registered within six weeks (42 days) of the date of birth of the child.

When do you register a stillbirth?

A stillborn child is a child born after the 24th week of pregnancy who did not breathe or show any signs of life.

Registering a stillbirth gives bereaved parents the opportunity to have their child officially acknowledged.

Who can register a stillbirth?

If the child's parents are married, the mother or the father can register.

If the child’s parents are not married: the mother and father must attend the registration.

If the parents are unable to register, please refer to the GOV.UK guide to registering a stillbirth or contact or contact the registration service on 0345 603 7632 so that our staff can explain the options to you.

What to bring to the register office

A medical certificate of stillbirth issued by the midwife or doctor.

What the registrar will give you:

A certificate of registration. The certificate includes any names that were given to the child, the date of the stillbirth and the registration district in which the stillbirth occurred.

A stillbirth certificate. This is an exact copy of the entry in the register and costs £4 each.

A green form to be given to the funeral director.

If a stillbirth occurred outside of Essex

If you do not live in Essex but the stillbirth happened in Essex then you can make the registration at any other registration office in England and Wales; the necessary information will be forwarded to the appropriate district.